You trudge wearily forward. Darkness and fog envelops you.
You find your path forward blocked by a dry-stone wall, which you scramble over. As you cross what is apparently a small paddock a goat emerges from the fog, and sullenly watches as you march past.
Looming out of the clammy fog, you see a somewhat run-down farm-house.
There's a faint light shining through the shuttered windows.
Henry motions to the others to wait here and creeps closer to the farm house to peer inside.
Edward slowly and quietly draws his pistol.
LCDR Readington-Smythe makes his way carefully to the side of the farm-house.
It occurs to Mr. Carter that it is rather odd that the place has no dogs: this would the first farm he has been on that didn't have at least some dogs.
"Something is out of sorts, Leftenant-Commander. Something I can't quite put my finger... ah, I know: There are no guard dogs here... and from the looks of things, there appear to be no dogs of any kind. Most peculiar Most peculiar."
"It is peculiar. But I shall take it as a small solace that we don't have to deal with possibly getting bitten."
The doctor stays hunched behind Edward.
.
LCDR Readington-Smythe hears angry voices from inside the rough cottage.
Edward inches forward, cupping one hand to his ear. He puts the index finger of his other hand to his lips, gesturing for Readington-Smythe and Hanmer to be as quiet as possible. <quiet>
LCDR: "If they were caught in the hallway when the explosion occurred then they're dead: if they managed to get into one of the rooms, yes, they could live for days, weeks even, before their air runs out. We have to send one of the Wraith-Wyrms into the chambers to be sure."
"Yes, Brothers, it is a set-back: and the Black Sun will not be happy, but there's no helping it, what's done is done."
Henry grits his teeth as he realizes he's found their enemy. He motions to Misters Carter and Hanmer to move away so he can share the news with them. Once they're about 50' away he whispers what he's heard directly into their ears, so as to minimize the threat of overhearing.
"What in the name of all that is Holy," Edward says to his comrades, "is a Wraith-Wyrm? Are these men insane? Do they believe in the supernatural, or is it code for some time of German special forces?"
As you crouch there in the foggy dark, you are suddenly aware of how achingly tired you are.
Dr. Hanmer, LCDR Readington-Smythe, either narrate how you've tapped a pillar of stability to draw a 2nd wind, or sacrifice a point from any General ability, for fatigue loss.
Henry shudders in the dark. Feeling the weight of the world crushing in, he remembers his basic flight training instructor, Sir Reginald Wembley, barking at them as they frantically tried to navigate in the darkened cockpits, "Are you going to fail your sovereign, you lily white cowards?!? Are you going to tell the King that the HUN WON BECAUSE YOU WERE FRIGHTENED?!? Or are you going to man up and DO YOUR DAMNABLE DUTY LIKE MEN!" He breathes deep and mutters, "Sir, no sir, I am a man, sir!" and embraces the Rightness Of Our Cause.
Dr. Hanmer?
The elder doctor hunches over grasping his knees, fighting to catch his breath. He can't think of a time when he was more tired than this.
As he takes a deep breath, he hears a small voice - "Emrys, you are a doctor. You worked countless hours during the London bombings. I remember you mustering up all your energy to ensure that those people we safe and treated. Find that energy again Emrys. Do it for me, do it for Gareth."
Out of the blue, the elder doctor perks back up, hands on his waist. "You're right Catrin. I can and WILL push forward!" As the last note of his sentence finishes, the doctor looks around, realizing how silly he must appear to be speaking to no one.
So the trio of you are crouching in the clammy fog behind the farm-house, when you think you hear a door banging open.
Is the door banging open and shut as if caught by a wind, or banging open once as if someone knocked it open?
There doesn't be any wind. You can spend from Sense Trouble if you wish: Difficulty 4 .
All of Edward's senses are heightened by using his training from his days in the Great War.
There's a spill of light from the front of the farmhouse, perhaps from an opened door, or a lantern.
Henry raises his firearm and keeps it trained on the light source, and waits.
You see one of the men you saw earlier in the tunnels. With a small lantern in hand he strolls a little a way from the house.
Apparently he doesn't see you.
Henry is going to try to sneak behind him, grab him from behind and choke him into submission or unconsciousness.
He stops in from of a low dry-stone wall, placing the lantern atop the wall, apparently relieving himself there.
"Psst," Edward whispers. He is trying to get the Leftentant-Commander's attention to see if he wants Edward to follow.
So before Mr. Carter can get LCDR's Readington-Smythe's attention, the pilot is flying across the paddock. With fluid grace he vaults the low way, and hurls towards the startled man.
LCDR, let's have a Scuffling test, Difficulty 4.
LCDR Readington-Smythe drives his man into the frosty ground.
So you knocked him down before he had a chance to shout, now to keep him quiet I'll need a another Scuffling Test (Difficulty 5)(or Athletics 6).
Henry does his best to keep the man quiet, while gesturing with whatever body part he has available for the others to come closer.
Witnessing the scuffle, Edward rushes forward, pistol drawn and down by his side, to see if he can help the LCDR. Seeing that the man is somewhat subdued, Edward searches his own belongings as well as those of their prisoner to see if he can find something that can be used as a gag or handcuffs.
"Psst, Cousin. We have us a prisoner who may be in need of sedation."
The doctor quickly ambles over whilst rooting through his bag to see if he could find the syringe filled with Tuinal.
So the pair of you carefully make your way to where LCDR Readington-Smythe has subdued his captive.
Edward helps his cousin by restraining the arm that the doctor is trying to insert the needle in.
With a sneer, Edward says to their prisoner, "Stop that thrashing, mate. You're only making it harder on yourself."
In the shadowy light Dr. Hanmer can't seem to find a vein.
Well, failing narcotics, perhaps something can be done with gauze and tape?
Edward continues to try to restrain the man while he nods to the doctor.
"Got any bandages, gauze, tape, or maybe some cotton to stuff his mouth?"
Using the good doctor's medical supplies you improvise a gag.
You realize his absence will soon be noted inside the house.
Henry nods and searches the restrained man. Did he have any weapons or anything odd on him?
"Cousin", Edward says, "Let's you and me restrain his legs while the Lieutenant-Commander rifles through his pockets."
"Very well. I think I recall the method for binding the legs of the young sheep from my youth growing up on the farm"
He quickly produces some twine to tie up the man's legs.
No weapons, though he appears to be wearing a rather odd medallion: it appears to depict a snake coiling around an inverted trident.
Dr. Hanmer and Mr. Carter bind the man's legs; while the contents of Dr. Hanmer's medical bag will make do, there would more surety in some stout cordage!